High frequency ultrasonic convex array transducers and tissue imaging

Abstract

A high frequency ultrasonic transducer may include a plurality of adjacent ultrasonic transducer elements. The adjacent transducer elements may be sized and configured so as to resonate at a frequency that is at least 15 MHz. The adjacent transducer elements may collectively form an aperture that is substantially convex along a lateral dimension spanning the cascaded width of the adjacent transducer elements. The aperture may be substantially concave along an elevation spanning the height of each of the transducer elements. The ultrasonic transducer and an associated transmitter system may be configured so as to enable ultrasound that is radiated from the plurality of the transducer elements to be focused on and to scan across locations that are no more than 30 millimeters from the aperture and that span across a field of view of at least 50 degrees without movement of the ultrasonic transducer or tissue during the scanning.

1 . A high frequency ultrasonic transducer comprising a plurality of adjacent ultrasonic transducer elements sized and configured so as to resonate at a frequency that is at least 15 MHz and so as to collectively form an aperture that is substantially convex along a lateral dimension spanning the cascaded width of the adjacent transducer elements and substantially concave along an elevation spanning the height of each of the transducer elements. 
     
     
         2 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 1  wherein the aperture has a radius of curvature along the lateral dimension that is between 8 and 60 millimeters. 
     
     
         3 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 2  wherein the aperture has a radius of curvature along the elevation that is between 3 and 60 millimeters. 
     
     
         4 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 1  wherein the aperture has a radius of curvature along the elevation that is between 3 and 60 millimeters. 
     
     
         5 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 4  wherein the height of each of the transducer elements is between 2 and 12 millimeters. 
     
     
         6 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 1  wherein the transducer elements are sized and configured so as to resonate at a frequency that is at least 20 MHz. 
     
     
         7 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 1  wherein the transducer elements are sized and configured so as to resonate at a frequency that is at least 30 MHz. 
     
     
         8 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 1  wherein the number of transducer elements is between 60 and 300. 
     
     
         9 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 1  wherein the transducer elements are made from a piezoelectric material. 
     
     
         10 . The high frequency ultrasonic transducer of  claim 1  wherein the transducer elements are made from a 1-3 composite, high dielectric constant piezo ceramic. 
     
     
         11 . An ultrasonic tissue imaging system comprising:
 an ultrasonic transducer comprising a plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements configured to collectively form an aperture;   a transmitter system configured to generate and deliver a plurality of signals simultaneously to a plurality of the transducer elements;   a receiver system configured to receive signals simultaneously from a plurality of the transducer elements and to perform receive focusing on these signals; and   an imaging system configured to generate an image of tissue based on the receive focusing,   wherein the ultrasonic transducer and the transmitter system are configured so as to enable ultrasound that is radiated from the plurality of the transducer elements to be focused on and to scan across locations that are no more than 75 millimeters from the aperture and that span across a field of view of at least 20 degrees without movement of the ultrasonic transducer or tissue during the scanning.   
     
     
         12 . The ultrasonic tissue imaging system of  claim 11  wherein the field of view is at least 35 degrees. 
     
     
         13 . The ultrasonic tissue imaging system of  claim 11  wherein the field of view is at least 50 degrees. 
     
     
         14 . The ultrasonic tissue imaging system of  claim 11  wherein the locations are no more than 50 millimeters from the aperture. 
     
     
         15 . The ultrasonic tissue imaging system of  claim 11  wherein the locations are no more than 30 millimeters from the aperture. 
     
     
         16 . The ultrasonic tissue imaging system of  claim 11  wherein the imaging system is configured to use the Doppler effect to generate information useful in evaluating blood flow in a vascular system. 
     
     
         17 . The ultrasonic tissue imaging system of  claim 16  wherein the imaging system includes a color flow system configured to generate color images that are indicative of the blood flow. 
     
     
         18 . The ultrasonic tissue imaging system of  claim 16  wherein the imaging system includes a Doppler system configured to generate Doppler data that is indicative of the instantaneous or average velocity of the blood flow at a certain point. 
     
     
         19 . A tissue imaging method for imaging tissue comprising:
 positioning tissue to be imaged within no more than 75 millimeters of an aperture of an ultrasonic transducer;   while at this position and without moving the ultrasonic transducer or the tissue, causing the ultrasonic transducer to generate ultrasound that is focused on and that scans across a field of view of the tissue to be imaged of at least 20 degrees; and   producing an image of the field of view of the tissue to be imaged of at least 20 degrees based on reflections of the ultrasound from the tissue to be imaged that are received by the ultrasonic transducer.   
     
     
         20 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 19  wherein the field of view is at least 35 degrees. 
     
     
         21 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 19  wherein the field of view is at least 50 degrees. 
     
     
         22 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 19  wherein the tissue to be imaged is within no more than 50 millimeters of the aperture. 
     
     
         23 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 19  wherein the tissue to be imaged is within no more than 30 millimeters of the aperture. 
     
     
         24 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 19  wherein the tissue to be imaged is part of a human eye. 
     
     
         25 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 24  wherein the tissue to be imaged is a posterior segment of the human eye. 
     
     
         26 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 25  further comprising diagnosing whether there is retina vein occlusion in the human eye based at least in part on the image. 
     
     
         27 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 25  further comprising diagnosing whether there is macular degeneration in the human eye based at least in part on the image. 
     
     
         28 . The tissue imaging method of  claims 25  further comprising diagnosing whether there is retinal detachment in the human eye based at least in part on the image. 
     
     
         29 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 24  wherein the tissue to be imaged is an anterior segment of the human eye. 
     
     
         30 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 29  further comprising diagnosing whether there is a cataract in the human eye based at least in part on the image. 
     
     
         31 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 29  further comprising diagnosing whether there is hyphema in the human eye based at least in part on the image. 
     
     
         32 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 24  wherein the tissue to be imaged is a mouse heart. 
     
     
         33 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 24  further comprising guiding micro surgery based on the image. 
     
     
         34 . The tissue imaging method of  claim 24  further comprising evaluating the results of surgery based on the image.